BITS; Limits Sought On Drone Use

By SOMINI SENGUPTA

Published: August 6, 2012

Who will keep an eye on the eyes in the sky?

Representative Edward Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts, said he planned to introduce legislation that would compel those who seek a federal license to fly drones to spell out what they will do with the information they collect and how long they will hold on it.

The Obama administration announced earlier this year that it would allow the Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for civilian airspace, to issue licenses to commercial drone operators and to make it easier for law enforcement and other government agencies to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drone makers, who until now have sold drones to the United States military for its war efforts overseas, have lobbied to open up the civilian market within the United States. Drones are already used to monitor movement on the borders and by a few police and emergency services agencies around the country.

The F.A.A. is drafting regulations on how drone licenses will be issued. Once they kick in, drones could be used in a variety of ways, including shooting Hollywood movies, monitoring oil spills and conducting criminal investigations. The prospect of drones being used for these purposes has fueled concerns about the possibility of ubiquitous surveillance, especially because the law currently protects the right to take pictures of anyone and anything in public.

In June, Representative Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced legislation that would compel law enforcement agencies to seek a search warrant before collecting information with a drone. His bill, co-sponsored by Austin Scott, Republican of Georgia, makes exceptions including on the border and in cases of terrorist investigations.

The drone manufacturers lobby, meanwhile, is backing a voluntary code of conduct which includes a provision to ''respect the privacy of individuals.''

Mr. Markey also said Wednesday that law enforcement agencies should strive to minimize what information they collect using unmanned aerial vehicles and how long they hold on it.

The prospects of any imminent movement on Capitol Hill, though, seem to be minimal. Stubborn partisan divisions have so far doomed agreement on a bill that seeks to strengthen cybersecurity for the electrical grid, nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure.

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.